


Close to the Heart

by ShepGoesWhat



Series: Things Unnoticed, Words Unsaid [4]
Category: Mass Effect Trilogy
Genre: F/M, Marriage Proposal, Mass Effect 3, Mass Effect 3: Citadel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-25
Updated: 2017-05-25
Packaged: 2018-11-04 23:13:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,268
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11001006
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ShepGoesWhat/pseuds/ShepGoesWhat
Summary: Shepard and Garrus share a private moment on the Citadel.





	Close to the Heart

Garrus turned over and reached for Shepard, his hands feeling cool sheets. "Shepard?" he croaked and peeked one eye open. Sure enough, her side of the bed was empty. He rubbed a hand over his face, sat up, and began getting dressed. 

He slowly searched the apartment, taking care not to step on any of his fallen comrades. He saw Javik collapsed in the bathroom, muttering about victories. Liara was curled up on one of the hallway's couches with Glyph floating idly nearby. Zaeed slept against the wall near the top of the stairs, and Garrus noticed a red light flickering in the flowerpot behind him. He chuckled and made his way down.

He found EDI sitting on a recliner in front of the fire. Joker was sprawled on the couch across from her, snoring like a krogan. She looked up when he approached.

"EDI, have you seen Shepard?" 

"Shepard is currently in the Port Observation Room."

He blinked. "The lounge? On the Normandy?"

"That is correct." Joker snorted in his sleep and turned over. EDI held up a finger to her lips. He nodded his thanks and headed for the Normandy. 

On his way there, he tried thinking of reasons she'd left and came up blank. Another mission from Hackett? Couldn't be; he'd been the one that ordered them on shore leave. A nightmare then? But those usually left her jerking upright in her haste to wake, and ended up waking him too. He stepped into the lounge, her N7 hoodie on his arm, a hot cup of levo coffee in hand, and paused.

Shepard looked up when he entered and smiled before turning back to her omnitool. 

"So, is that the reason you wanted me to call?" Shepard asked.

"No... I just want you to know that I am proud of you, honey. So proud."

"Thanks Mom."

Garrus' mandibles fluttered when he realized who she was talking to. He turned, ready to leave the room, but Shepard caught his free hand and motioned for him to sit. 

"I have to go. Be safe. Please. Goodbye, sweetheart."

"Bye Mom. You too."

The call disconnected, and she leaned against his shoulder. She was wearing the dress she'd worn earlier, and her arm felt cooler than usual. He set the cup in front of her before draping the hoodie over her shoulders.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt."

She dismissed his apology with a wave. "If you came earlier, I could've introduced you. I guess we'll have to save it for after the war."

"Y-You want to introduce me to your mom?" he stammered. His subharmonics wavered somewhere between hope and nervousness, and he was once again grateful she couldn't hear them.

She turned her head to look at him, her eyes so full of warmth and affection it took his breath away. She took his hand and softly kissed the center of his palm. "Yeah. I do." She grinned and added, "I think she'd like you. A 'turian bad boy who dispenses justice in an unjust galaxy,' was it?"

"Shepard..." he warned.

"And if she hears about Archangel, we'll have Vega tell her it's a maid service on Omega like he did Traynor," she said, laughing.

He pulled her into his lap and nipped at her collarbone. "Not funny, Shepard."

She put her hands on his shoulders and wrapped her legs around his waist, eliciting a groan from him. "No, no, you're right. I'm serious," she said, trying to keep a straight face. "She'll ask how our relationship started, and I'll tell her about the time you took a rocket to the face."

His brow plates shifted upwards. "Oh?" If that was how she wanted to play it, then. "So, about that fishtank you fell through..." He ignored the way her eyes narrowed. "Now, I've got a story to tell the family when they meet you for the first time. Always helps to break the ice with turian in-laws."

She froze and looked at him, her eyes wide. "In-laws?" she repeated. "You mean..."

He reached into his suit and pulled out a small black box. He flipped the lid. Inside lay a slim, silver band. "The vids Joker gave me... wait, I think this is where I'm supposed to bend down and--"

She kissed him. It wasn't their best kiss, not by far. In her eagerness, her lips hit his plates a little too hard and their tongues clumsily tangled together, but neither seemed to mind. When their kiss broke, her eyes were wet and shining, her cheeks flushed.

"Shepard," he said, taking her hand with one hand and holding the box in the other, "Will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?" 

She wrapped her fingers around his and squeezed lightly. "Yes," she breathed. 

His subharmonics thrummed with happiness and pride. He gently lifted her hand and slid the ring on her finger. It was a bit loose, and his mandibles flicked with embarrassment. He opened his mouth to apologize, but she shook her head.

She reached up to touch the scarred side of his face, and he felt the smooth ring brush against his mandible. "I love you, Garrus." She wrapped her arms around his neck and touched her brow to his. 

He wanted to respond, to tell her how much she meant to him, and found that he couldn't, overwhelmed by his emotions. Instead, he leaned into her touch, a hum rising from his chest. He met her eyes and saw in them a depth of love that matched his own. He kissed her, gently this time, taking the time to show her the feelings he couldn't convey with words.

When she leaned back, he felt something shift in her. She looked at him, her expression pained. She opened her mouth as if to say something, then closed it. She hesitated and began sliding the ring off.

He tried to keep the worry and hurt out of his voice when he asked, "Shepard?"

"The war," she began, "The fate of the galaxy is in our hands. If it slips off at the wrong moment, if I get distracted by it during a battle... Maybe now isn't the best time."

He nodded, understanding but disappointed. He took the ring from her palm and was struck with a sudden idea. His mandibles flared with a wide smile. 

"Let's go to your cabin." he said, standing her on her feet.

"What?" she asked confused, but followed him. She let out a small laugh at his excitement. "And here I was, worried that I'd ruined the moment."

"Never," he rumbled, nuzzling her neck with his mandible. The elevator chimed, and he pulled her out after him. Once in her cabin, he began rummaging through her desk's bottom drawer.

"Uh, Garrus? Need some help rifling through my things there?"

He stood, holding her old N7 dogtags in one hand. "I know this isn't the best time. But I hope you'll keep the ring. It belongs to you, Shepard," he said, sliding the ring down the chain until it clinked against metal. "And after you've found a way to win, when this is all over, I'll be waiting for you." 

He pooled the dogtags onto her palm, closed her fingers over them, and pressed a kiss to her hand. She smiled and touched her hand to the side of his face. "I'll be proud to wear it again."

She slipped the dogtags around her neck, and his mandibles fluttered at the sight. She took his hand, laced their fingers together, and they slowly made their way back to bed.

**Author's Note:**

> This was loosely based on Wei723's comic, 'The Ring.' If you haven't read it, I highly recommend it. 
> 
> It was also my explanation for why Garrus wakes up in full-body armor, and why Shepard is wearing N7 dogtags instead of Alliance Navy ones in the Destroy cutscene. Hope you like it!


End file.
